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Saturday, April 27, 2013

The Untold Story of Political Struggle For Malaya Independence

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. - Aristotle

This is a copy of one of my assignment that requires me to review a video called. "10 Tahun Sebelum Merdeka." Directed by brilliant young man called, Fahmi Reza.

This video is actually open 'my eyes' on what EXACTLY happened before or during the struggle for our independence from British. It is very different from what we've been told in our school, universities or even from our parent. This video literally contains very valuable pieces of information that been hid from us, rakyat, for more than several decades. It is really important for us to know what is actually happened at that time and by whom are the one that sparks the spirit of independence of our country.

I wrote this article last year but I never thought to publish it online until recently. We are in the brink of our 13th General Election. With the election days only few days away, I really thinks that this knowledge or information is really important for us to know what is exactly happened that has shaped our political movement up until now.

This article maybe a little bit boring because I'm too lazy to find pictures (lol!) but please read and digest it carefully. I guaranteed that after you finish the last sentence, your mind will wide open, just like me. Enjoy

After
more than 55 years our country celebrate the national Independence from
British, many of us still thought that the national independence struggle only
done by the Umno and its delegations, Datuk Ahmad Kamil, Datuk Dr Ismail, Datuk Hj Abdul Wahab,
YTM Tunku Abdul Rahman, Dato' Mohammad Seth, Kolonel Sir H.S. Lee,
Dato' Abdul Aziz Majid dan Datuk Abdul Razak Barisan belakang: T.H.
Tan (Setiusaha Wakil Perikatan) dan Abdul Kadis Shamsuddin (Setiuasaha wakil
Raja-raja) to London to discuss and give the suggestion of Malaya independence.
Many of us still believe that the UMNO were the first organization and the only
that initiated the thought of this nation independence.

Every citizen of current generation
is fed through the education system and reminded constantly on our leaders'
struggle in the past to fight for 'Merdeka'. In fact, many tend to brag that Malaya
(that time) achieved its Independence from British in a peaceful manner without
dropping a single blood. Every ordinary and educated (even not educated) people
of this land are aware of this cliché or 'fact'. However, the concern is how
much truth is lingering in this structured piece ofMalaysianHistory? What are
really happened before our nations get its independence? And who is actually
involved and initiated the thought of our country independence?

This fact will drag us straight into
years 1943, after the world war was ended and Japanese retreated from Malaya
occupation. At that time, the British did not set up some specific laws or
ordinance in Malaya so the air of liberations and the spirit of independence
beginning to rose among the people. The Japanese occupation also took part in
the awareness of the independence of this country because before the Japanese
came, this country still in the British rule, the people thought that the
Malays or other races cannot survive on its own. It must have the British help
in order to rule the country but after the Japanese came, it changed
everything.

Especially our perceptions towards
British colonialization and our real potential to lead our own land without the
British interventions. The great Indonesians resistance against the Dutch
occupation also inspired this awareness. From then on, the idea emerged in people’s
minds to be engaged in politics.

After that, many political organizations
were formed. Two months after world war, in 17 October 1945, The Malay
Nationalist Party (PKMM) was formed. This
partywas thefirst
Malay politicalpartyformedafter the Japanese occupationin Malaya. The
main goalforthe establishment ofPKMM isto claim forfullindependencefor Malayaandopposes
anyform of colonialism. PKMMalso wantto tackle and educatethe Malaysinterms ofeducation, social and economic as well
as thefreedomto printandspeech.

Two
months after that, on 21 December 1945, Malayan Democratic Union was formed. They
are generally were an English educated and they didn’t think themselves as a
party but as a ‘task force’ to raise the awareness of independence among the
people of this country. After that, on 17 February 1946, Pan-Malayan of Trade
Union (PMFTU) was formed in Singapore to create the coalition of all of the
trade unions. All of these unions have only one main purposed, to free this
country from British colonial and gains its independence.

At
that time, Malaya did not exist as a nation with real political structures.
Malaya consist of a group of malay states, some were federated while others
were not, which gave their loyalty to the malay rulers and the straits
settlements which gave their loyalty to the British Crown.

After
the British returned to Malaya in the aftermath of World War II, On April 1
1946, the Malayan Union officially came into existence with Sir Edward Gent as
its governor. The capital of the Union was Kuala Lumpur. The Malayan Union
was a federation of the Malay states and the Straits Settlements of Penang and
Malacca. It was the successor to British Malaya and was conceived to unify the
Malay Peninsula under a single government so as to simplify administration.

The Malayan Union gave equal
rights to people who wished to apply for citizenship. It was automatically
granted to people who were born in any state in British Malaya or Singapore and
were living there before 15 February 1942, born outside British Malaya or the
Straits Settlements only if their fathers were citizens of the Malayan Union
and those who reached 18 years old and who had lived in British Malaya or
Singapore "10 out of 15 years before 15 February 1942". The group of
people eligible for application of citizenship had to live in Singapore or
British Malaya "for 5 out of 8 years preceding the application", had
to be of good character, understand and speak the English or Malay language and
"had to take an oath of allegiance to the Malayan Union".

The Sultans, the traditional
rulers of the Malay states, conceded all their powers to the British Crown
except in religious matters. The Malayan Union was placed under the
jurisdiction of a British Governor, signaling the formal inauguration of
British colonial rule in the Malay Peninsula. Moreover, even though State
Councils were still kept functioning in the former Federated Malay States, it
lost the limited autonomy that they enjoyed as they administered some local and
less important aspects of government and the Federal government in Kuala Lumpur
controlling vital aspects. State Councils became an extended hand of the
Federal government that had to do its bidding. Also, British Residents replacing
the Sultans as the head of the State Councils meant that the political statuses
of the Sultans were greatly reduced.

However,
the Union was met with much opposition due to its constitutional framework,
which allegedly threatened Malay sovereignty over Malaya. A series of Malay
congresses were held, culminating in the formation of the nationalist party,
UMNO on May 10, 1946 at the Third Malay Congress in Johor Bahru, with Datuk Onn
Jaafar as its leader. UMNO strongly opposed the Malayan Union.

When
the UMNO were formed, the PKMM and API was its member but later on, they
withdrew when they only get one vote each against small little groups on Perak
and other states which have one vote each. So the PKMM and API were outvoted in
everything. The other reason why they were walked out from UMNO was the
conflict in the UMNO flag.

After
they were separated, the PKMM adopted a leftish approach to their struggle on
national independence while UMNO were adopted a Rightist approach on their
struggle. From then on, there were two political bodies, left and right. The
right wings were pro – British while the leftish were against the British.

At
that time, UMNO strongly opposed the Malayan Union, but originally did not seek
political power. UMNO was comfortable with continuing to play its supporting
role to the British rulers. The leaders cooperated with the British and helped
to defeat the communist insurgency. Their party slogan was ‘Hidup Melayu’. It was
the PKMM and the other left-wings parties were strongly want the independence
from the British. Later on, PKMM and its allies were completely walked out from
UMNO.

After
the Malayan Union were strongly opposed by the Malays, British came out with
another plan which supported by Malay Rulers and UMNO. It was called as
Constitutional Proposals for Malaya (also known as the Federation Proposals
or the Anglo-Malay Proposals) which eventually formed the basis of the
Federation of Malaya Agreement. After the proposal was introduced, the left-wings
parties were once again opposed but this time on their Constitutional proposal.
They said it was another British agenda to restore the British government
colonialism in Malaya but hide under the different name.

On
22 October 1946, All-Malaya Council of Joint Action (AMCJA) was formed.
It was a coalition of political and civic organizations in Malaya. It was formed
to participate in the development of a constitution for post-war Malaya in
preparation for independence and to oppose the Constitutional Proposals for
Malaya. Over 29 bodies or parties joined this council including PKMM, API,
AWAS, GERAM and etc. On 22 February 1947, Pusat Tenaga Ra’ayat (PUTERA) was
formed and joined the AMCJA and later on, it was called as PUTERA – AMCJA.

Once
the British found out that all the leftish parties have grouped together, they
felt very concerned and they reinstated the Societies Ordinance which
interfered with freedom of association and gave the Registrar the absolute
power to reject registration of any organization. This give the registrar the
power of a ‘Tsar’, they could do anything, investigate anything, challenge
everything and question anybody. It is also first concrete prove that the
British were beginning to show their power over people of Malaya and also the
signal of they are going to rule this country again and restore the colonial
power over Malaya. So the left-wings parties were strongly fought that.

The
British also installed propaganda in the national newspaper or other media such
as radio broadcasting about the good of Constitutional Proposals for Malaya and
introduced the ‘Ramasamy and Ah Chong’ propaganda over the opposition sides to
create the resentment feeling towards them.

Putera-AMCJA realised they
needed a stronger and more progressive programme to win mass support. From May
1947, it began drafting an alternative constitution to challenge the Federation
Constitution.

On Aug 10, 1947, the People’s
Constitution was completed, taking into consideration the opinions and
aspirations of the different factions within the Putera-AMCJA pact. It was a
comprehensive document that covered provisions for a democratic system of
government, towards establishing a new nationality and an independent
nation-state.

The New Straits Times quoted The
People’s Constitution as “the first political attempt to put Malayan party
politics on a plane higher than that of rival racial interests, and also as the
first attempt to build a political bridge between the domiciled non-Malay
communities and the Malay race”.

On Sept 21, 1947, the People’s
Constitution was presented for the first time to more than 20,000 people who
had gathered at Farrer Park, Singapore. Subsequently, Putera-AMCJA began a
national campaign to explain the contents of the People’s Constitution to
Malayans.

Meetings, mass gatherings, and
demonstrations were held in various places to get the people’s support.

The constitution was published
in four languages and disseminated throughout the states. Copies were also sent
to the Malayan Union Government, the British Prime Minister and the Colonial
Office in London.

Yet once more, the British
refused to pay attention to Putera-AMCJA or to hold discussions. The colonial
government also rejected all proposals in the People’s Constitution.

On Oct 6, 1947, Putera-AMCJA
released a “Hartal Manifesto”. It called upon all those who regarded Malaya as
their home to observe Oct 20, 1947 as a Day of Protest against the Revised
Constitutional Proposals,by staging a Malaya-wide hartal on that day.

“October 20 has been selected as
the Day of Protest because it is on that day that the British Parliament is
scheduled to begin its autumn session, during which it is reported that a
debate on the constitutional issue in Malaya will take place."

“On October 20, therefore,
between the hours of six a.m. and midnight, all those who regard Malaya as
their real home and who support the People’s Constitution issued by
Putera-AMCJA, are asked not to carry out their usual occupations, but to remain
indoors throughout the day and night."

“You are asked for one day to
cease work in order to demonstrate to government that you reject the Revised
Constitutional Proposals, and in order to carry our struggle for acceptance of
the People’s Constitution one step further."

“October 20 is the day on which
the people of Malaya will be called upon to stage the greatest political
demonstration that this country has ever seen.”

The campaign to promote the
hartal began on Oct 7. Its aim was to ensure the hartal’s success and to prove
to the British that the masses were behind the hartal.

Full hartal instructions were
issued on how it should be observed, and “12 Hartal Slogans” that pinpointed
the reasons for the hartal were sent to the media, all the parties within
Putera-AMCJA, and to the 30 Putera-AMCJA centres throughout Malaya to be
translated and disseminated to the people so that they fully understood the
hartal’s aim as a political act.

Committees were set up in each
state to align and plan activities for the hartal. Propaganda corps were
established to tour the towns, districts and kampung to put up posters and
banners,as well as give out leaflets explaining the hartal and the People’s
Constitution.

Thus, on Oct 20, 1947, beginning
from 6am, the whole of Malaya underwent the hartal. Merchants shut their shops,
labourers stopped going to the mines, factories, shipyards, and rubber
plantations, farmers did not work their lands, fishing folk stayed ashore,
housewives did not go to the markets, and the youth stayed away from amusement
parks. Only colonial government offices, European stores and several other
shops operated as usual.

It was estimated that the
British colonial government suffered £4 million in losses from the nationwide
strike that day.

According to the Putera-AMCJA,
the hartal was also “a unique method of political education. It brought the
constitutional issue into every home in the country, and confronted every man,
woman and child with this issue. Even in the Government English schools,
children in the fourth and fifth standards questioned their teachers about the
hartal, asked about its nature and why the government was opposed to it”.

Even though the hartal was a
complete success in its execution, it failed to change British constitutional
policy in Malaya. The British rejected the People’s Constitution and stayed
committed to their agreement with the Malay aristocracy and defended their
Federation Constitution.

On Feb 1, 1948, the Federation
of Malaya was inaugurated to replace the Malayan Union.

Then, to crush Putera-AMCJA’s
continued protests against the new Federation of Malaya, the British declared a
state of Emergency throughout Malaya in June 1948.

Thousands of Putera-AMCJA
leaders and members were arrested. Most were locked up in detention camps for
several years while others were banished.

Most of the organisations
affiliated to Putera-AMCJA were banned or dissolved. This was the turning point
and marked the beginning of the end of the constitutional independence struggle
of the left in Malaya.

P.s: Now think! Think very hard an wisely before you make your own choice to vote. Selamat Mengundi!

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